I met Cassi Gray on a Thursday evening several months ago; she performed in an open mic slot at the Maine Songwriters Association Showcase at the North Star Music Cafe.  

I was immediately impressed with her performance skills, her songwriting,

Jazz performer and singer/songwriter Cassi Gray

and her voice.  I’ve seen her at the MSA event a couple of times since that night.  Most recently, in July, she performed in one of the 30-minute sets that are the main attraction at the MSA Showcase nights on Thursday evenings at the North Star.

Cassi is making her name in the local music scene as a jazz singer and performer, and appears with a jazz trio that she fronts.  Her songwriting is more ecclectic; while constructed primarily of  jazz harmonies and styles, it is tinged with a folk flavor.  

Cassi is a recent graduate of the USM Music Program, with a double degree in jazz performance an music education.  Her voice is beautiful; clear, pitch-perfect, supple, and emotive.  It cuts through the mix and asserts itself as the main character in her performances.

The young Ms. Gray is doing a great job of promoting herself locally.  She is active in The Maine Songwriters Association, and has been networking at recent Portland Music Association events, meeting people and learning about what they do in town.  She was featured in Portland Magazine this past winter, and continues to gig in the area with both solo performances, and appearances with her jazz trio.

You can hear her very nice vocals and her original music on her MySpace page, and you can learn more about her, and find out about her gigs, at her website http://www.cassigray.com

If you get a chance to catch her performance, I highly recommend that you don’t let that chance slip by!